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Online Period Rooms Tour
Winterthur is a unique surviving example of a great American country house of the early
1900s. At that time, wealthy Americans used their fortunes to develop great estates on
large tracts of land. They built grand houses where they entertained friends in lavish
style and in which they amassed extraordinary collections of fine art. Henry Francis
du Pont, Winterthur's founder, was inspired to collect early American art and antiques
after he saw this dresser in the home of a friend. He was captivated by its design,
the color of the dishes, and their history. He felt that American arts and crafts had
not received much attention and decided to collect objects that would "show America
as it had been." Today Winterthur is home to 85,000 objects made or used in America
between 1640 and 1860, displayed in 175 period rooms. This online tour--as well as its
counterpart at Winterthur the Elegant Entertaining Tour--highlights certain rooms and objects within this
extraordinary complex.
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